BUCKEYE, Ariz. — A former Border Patrol agent from Buckeye has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for accepting bribes to help smuggle drugs into Arizona.
Carlos Victor Passapera Pinott, 56, was sentenced last week in court after pleading guilty to bribery and conspiracy to distribute drugs.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Exagente de la Patrulla Fronteriza fue sentenciado a prisión por ayudar a contrabandear drogas en Arizona
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Arizona, the former agent drove his Border Patrol vehicle into the desert in 2020 and picked up two duffel bags that he later transported to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The bags were then handed off to someone else.
Law enforcement later determined the bags contained cocaine, fentanyl and heroin.
Pinott admitted to accepting cash bribes in exchange for helping to smuggle drugs. Investigators reported finding over $300,000 in Pinott's safe deposit box.
“The citizens of Arizona are the true victims of this crime. Passapera was a trusted agent who took an oath to protect our border and keep drugs out. He broke that oath when he chose money over honor to transport and distribute drugs in this country,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis in a statement.
Two other defendants, Omar Natalio Martinez Fontes and Luis Alfredo Quintero-Gonzalez, pleaded guilty to crimes associated with the case. They both received "time served" after each spent about two years in custody.
UP TO SPEED
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
